Walks you can reach from Corby by train

Villages and countryside.

Time: 5h–10h

5 lunch spots: Broughton (3h30–7h in) — Best Plaice, the Red Lion, Broughton Fish and Chips, or the Broughton & Cransley WMC; plus the Overstone Arms (1h30–2h30 in)

Adapted from: the Leicester Ramblers.

River Nene towpath, gravel quarry-edge paths, fishing lakes, grassy fields, nature reserve, four villages and Swanspool Brook parkland.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Largely flat riverside paths, fields, woods, parks and pedestrianised town centre.

Warnings: Can be muddy.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Riverside paths along the Nene, meadows, quarry lakes, arable fields, villages, urban riverside, nature reserve and raised flood embankments.

Warnings: Prone to flooding.

Walk details: the Saturday Walkers Club (tips, local insights and turn-by-turn directions).

Recommended: Wide open views; good views. A fairly hilly route, mostly on field-edge paths and good tracks across arable land and with some overgrown stretches and short sections on quiet roads and verges. The Luton end has rather a lot of residential roads. Good views from the higher ground. Follows the Chiltern Way Extension for a significant distance. Whitwell has an interesting tower.

Time: 5h–10h

Lunch: There is a pub at St Paul's Walden, roughly mid-route.

Warnings: Crossing London Road (B656) needs a little care. Some paths are a little overgrown, occasionally between barbed-wire fences.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

An almost completely flat route following the River Great Ouse out of Bedford and then the line of the former Oxford-to-Cambridge railway (National Cycle Route 51), 100 percent tarmac or concrete and 90 percent dead straight and with one pleasant 'snail loop' diversion with river views. A short hill over the A421 bridge; restricted headroom (183cm) under Bedford bridge. Follows National Cycle Routes 51 and 12 along the former Oxford-to-Cambridge Varsity line; can be split using bus links, with refreshments and toilets at Danish Camp (check opening days) and Priory Park.

Time: 4h–8h

1 lunch spot: Danish Camp Cafe

Warnings: Parts of the 'snail loop' sometimes flood in autumn and winter, needing the straight-line diversion. No barriers near the river and Willington Lock at points — a safety issue for children and dogs. Restricted headroom of 183cm under Bedford bridge.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Lovely views. Begins with a long uphill road out of Luton, then transitions through farm tracks, common land, narrow paths and footpaths across open fields and small woods. Steep in places with steps and kissing gates; paths are generally good. Some short road walking in quiet places and plus an unavoidable roadside stretch into Hitchin. Expect fields of barley and skylarks; field paths shift as crops change and fields are ploughed.

Time: 4h–8h

1 lunch spot: the Red Lion

Warnings: Field paths can be narrow through crops and steep in places; expect kissing gates and some steps. An unavoidable roadside walk leads into the town centre at the Hitchin end.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

An easy, well-surfaced route mostly along the off-road Upper Lea Valley Way (a combined cycle and footpath), passing woodland and agricultural fields with countryside views and after about 2km of urban walking out of Luton. Tarmac all the way — good for wheels but hard underfoot — with some minor inclines and a few cycle-barrier pinch points. Follows the Upper Lea Valley Way; an information board at the highest point notes local connections including a memorial to Eric Morecambe. No refreshment opportunities between the town centres.

Woodland: a fifth under tree cover.

Time: 2h30–5h30

Lunch: No refreshment opportunities between the town centres, but it's not a long route.

Warnings: A quarter urban.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

Pavements out of Flitwick, then field paths, bridleways and old unsurfaced lanes through downland and woods, with several muddy sections and stretches that are becoming overgrown. Climbs fairly steeply past an old quarry; ends on pavements through housing. A few steps and gates and kissing gates but no stiles. Follows a Chiltern Way extension for part of its length. Barton-le-Clay, roughly mid-route, has plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants.

Time: 5h30–11h30

Lunch: Barton-le-Clay, roughly mid-route, has plenty of shops, pubs and restaurants.

Warnings: Several field-edge paths are overgrown; long trousers advised against nettles in summer. The A6 crossing has no lights but good sight lines and a central refuge. A short stretch of road walking on Harlington Lane has a disconcerting blind bend. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.

A flat-ended route with a considerable hill between Willington and Northill. A high proportion is on tarmac (disused railway cycle track then quiet village roads); off-tarmac stretches through the woods can be very muddy and greasy. Follows the disused Bedford to Cambridge railway (now a cycle track) and the Greensand Ridge Walk.

Time: 6h–11h30

Lunch: Pubs at Willington and Northill (the Northill pub is the last refreshment before Biggleswade).

Warnings: The footpath crossing of the dual-carriageway A1 is dangerous; use the right-hand fork to the culverts under the road rather than walking across. Crossing the busy A603 in Willington needs care. Can be muddy.

Walk details: Slow Ways.